In alphabetical order, they include Belarus, Hungary, Moldova, Poland,
Romania, Slovakia and Russia. After Western/Central Russia, it's Europe's
largest country territorially.

It's resource rich. Zbigniew Brzezinski once said "without Ukraine,
Russia ceases to be an empire, but with Ukraine suborned and then subordinated,
Russia automatically becomes an empire."

Recently he said if Russia ever reunites with Ukraine, it'll be a
Eurasian powerhouse. If Ukraine allies with Western Europe, Moscow will
be significantly weakened geopolitically.

The battle for Ukraine continues. Its future is up for grabs. A previous
article said street protests are manipulated.

Washington's dirty hands are involved. Young militants were recruited.
They're street thugs. They're up to no good. They're paid to protest. Radical
nationalists joined them. Ukraine's future is at stake.

"We cannot talk about the future without talking about restoring trade
relations with Russia." He stressed a "future treaty on strategic partnership."

Does he or does he not mean a Customs Union? Agreeing to one rules
out an EU alliance. It's one or the other, not both.

At the same time, he repeated what he said earlier. He favors European
integration. On December 10, Voice of Russia (VOR) headlined "Yanukovych
approves plan to sign Ukraine-EU agreement in March 2014."

Former Ukrainian President Leonid Kravchuk announced it. So did Yanukovych.
He did so after meeting with three former Ukrainian presidents - Kravchuk,
Leonid Kuchma, and Viktor Yushchenko.

"We have sent the government a task to speed up this work," said Yanukovych.

"As soon as we reach an understanding and such a compromise is achieved,
it will be signed."

"I have said repeatedly that since 1997, the program of the Party
of Regions has had the integration of Ukraine into European space as a strategic
objective."

On December 11, a First Deputy Prime Minister Serhiy Abruzov-led delegation
left for Brussels.

Work on the "joint Ukrainian-EU working group" will begin, said Yanukovych.

"Our purpose is very simple. We want to get conditions that will satisfy
Ukraine, Ukrainian commodity producers, and the people of Ukraine now."

"These questions will only be answered when we conduct these negotiations,
when we tell each other the truth."

"If the conditions don't satisfy us, we will demand changes. We will
defend our interests. We need to minimize the risks for our economy."

"If we find understanding and if such compromises are reached, the
signature will be put" on paper.

What Yanukovych hopes to gain is one thing. What EU countries intend
to give is another.

So far, it's been all sticks and no carrots. Harsh structural adjustments
are demanded.

EU enlargement commissioner, Stefan Fule, stopped short of explaining.
He said the EU would offer "financial assistance programs to help Ukraine
implement the agreement when signed."

IMF debt entrapment is planned. So are harsh mandates no country should
accept.

Popular interests are subordinated. Western corporate priorities come
first. Most important is geopolitically separating Ukraine from Russia.

Former President Kravchuk said Yanukovych will release protesters
arrested during protests.

He'll do so "without interfering in the work of judges." It doesn't
mean outstanding charges will be dropped.

Western-instigated radical elements call for revolution. Ukraine's
sovereignty is at stake. It's been through this before.

Promises made were broken. Exploitation followed. Once deceived should
be enough. Good sense demands avoiding a repeat. Conditions continue very
much in flux.

Russia's lower house State Duma approved a non-binding statement.
It accused Western nations of interfering in Ukrainian affairs.

It said protesters were destabilizing the country. It urged Western
countries to "stop mounting external pressure on the politics of a country
that is brotherly to us."

Imagine if Russian and/or Chinese officials urged Americans to demand
US policy changes. Imagine if they did it in Washington. Imagine if they
did in it front of Capitol Hill and/or the White House.

Imagine how long it would take before they were arrested, roughed
up, detained, then expelled. Imagine Western broadsheet headlines denouncing
their interference.

Justifiable nonviolent protests continue in Bahrain and Egypt. Occasional
ones surface in Saudi Arabia, other Gulf states and Jordan. Palestinians
demonstrate often for long denied justice.

Protests are ongoing in Thailand. Ordinary people demand change in
Greece, Spain, Portugal, Italy, Britain, France, Germany, other Western
European nations, Brazil, Chile and elsewhere. They do it publicly en masse.

Western media scoundrels largely ignore them. They support wealth,
power and privilege. They abhor social justice.

They endorse imperial wars. They back abhorrent political repression.
They do so when America or its allies commit it.

They blame Ukraine's government for deploying police against disruptive
protesters.

US Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs Victoria Nuland
lawlessly interfered in Ukraine's internal affairs. She's been in Kiev for
days.

She met publicly with opposition leaders. So did EU officials. She
and they joined street protesters. It bears repeating. Imagine if Russian,
Chinese or other foreign officials acted in similar fashion in Washington.

John Kerry is an unindicted war criminal. His Senate tenure was disgraceful.
He's going all out to become Washington's worst ever Secretary of State.

On December 10, he issued a statement on Ukraine. It reflected imperial
arrogance writ large. He lied saying:

"The United States expresses its disgust with the decision of Ukrainian
authorities to meet the peaceful protest in Kyiv's Maidan Square with riot
police, bulldozers, and batons, rather than with respect for democratic
rights and human dignity."

"This response is neither acceptable nor does it befit a democracy."

"(T)he United States stands with the people of Ukraine. They deserve
better."

One day only, Ukrainian police overreacted. Authorities took them
to task for doing so. For three weeks, they largely showed restraint. It's
not easy against Western-manipulated disruptiveness.

Kerry turned truth on its head. Police are obligated to address disruptive
street actions. Letting thugs run things would be irresponsible.

Edward Lucas is The Economist's international editor. On December
10, he headlined a Wall Street Journal op-ed "How the West Lost Ukraine
to Putin."

He has big aims, said Lucas. They're "audacious." His "ex-KGB regime
(wants) to restore the Russian empire."

EU expanding "east was one of its greatest achievements. (T)he so-called
EU-8 of Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, the Czech Republic, Slovakia,
Hungary and Slovenia represent some of the Continent's most striking success
stories."

Fact check

Their sovereignty was co-opted. Their populations were exploited for
profit. Their economies are largely troubled.